Social media and the recruitment process
These days I think it would be naive of us to believe that potential employers don’t research job candidates on social media to aid the recruitment process, just looking through my own Facebook newsfeed that shows my Facebook Friends’ posts, I can see many inappropriate images and statuses; drunken nights out, racist comments, extreme political views, it’s all there, and as many people haven’t given any thought to their privacy settings, it’s often on view to the world and his wife, oh, and potential employers. With Twitter it’s even worse as it’s all there and fully searchable!
If you’re reading this and at some point in the future you might look for a new job, then I urge you to think twice about the image you create of yourself every time you post an update or tweet. If you’re anything like me then you have lots of Facebook friends and Twitter followers, some will be people you are genuinely friends with, but others may be vague acquaintances, people you went to school with who you haven’t seen since, and some complete strangers. The only knowledge they have of you is what you tell the world; you could be interested in baking, the environment and recycling, but you often post racist rants – so how will a stranger “see” you? Just think about how you’d like people to perceive you, and moderate your posts and tweets accordingly.
If you’re an employer and you can’t resist the urge to Google your potential new employee, then you need to know that there are rules about what you can take into account and what you need to ignore. To be honest, I really think the safest bet is to ask a 3rd party to do the research for you, and make sure they only report back on what you’re allow to base your judgement on.
The CIPD have produced a handy resource called “Pre-employment checks: an employer’s guide” which includes a section on using social media to support the recruitment process. I urge you to download this and take their advice.
As ever, if I can help you with your social media for a one off project, training, on-going support or a complete done for you service, then please contact me or pick up the phone and call 01462 615821.